Popularity Kills
by She With A Writer's Soul
Summary: Highschool is supposed to be the hardest time in life. But the sisters will have to deal with it all over again, if they want to save a whole school of innocents. COMPLETE
1. This Day's Gonna Suck

Hey everyone, my name's Katie and this is my first fic. Reviews are appreciated and treasured. This would be a classic Charmed story, Leo's still here, and there's no Christy, Billie, or Henry. Prue is still dead (sorry) so there's Piper, Phoebe and Paige. I really hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that have appeared in Charmed, it's kinda depressing actually.

Hello, my name's Katharyn Whistler, though I wouldn't mind at all if you called me Kitty, it's been my nickname for a while.

I'm fourteen years old, normal kid, pretty good looking (if I do say so myself.)

I'm an only child to Mark and Karyn Whistler, and if it were up to them, I'd spent the next seven years of my life glued to their sides, going on father-daughter camping trips and spa days.

Of course, they're pretty close to giving up all hope that I'd turn out the way they wanted. But would they just accept that and move on? No way, and now I'm stuck with Peanut Butter and Jam sandwiches everyday, diagonally cut and without crust. Just how I liked it, when I was around four.

But, because of their " ignorance is bliss" policy, I've been able to get away with one of the biggest secrets ever kept. Seriously, I doubt that any other fourteen year-olds have to deal with this. I wanna get just get it out though, I don't feel like having the weight of a huge secret on my chest anymore, but I don't know of anyone else like me. Maybe I'll just find some mountain somewhere, climb to the top, and scream it at the top of my lungs.

"WAKE UP SANFRANSICO, I'M A WITCH!"

What an alarm clock I would be. Plus, my parents might consider disowning me; I'll have to further investigate this new way of "coming out of the broom closet." No, I don't ride a broom, well, I've never tried. But I can do other things, like control wind a bit, just enough to make mini tornadoes and stuff, I have always wondered if I could fly one day.

Anyway, welcome to my life, please enjoy the ride and keep all limbs inside the vehicle. Oh, and don't forget to buckle up either, it's going to be one hell of a time.

Beep. Beep. _Beeeeeeeeep._

Today's going to be a bad day. Well, if my alarm clock has anything to say about it. To me, the perfect day would probably just to sleep, but I really shouldn't get my hopes up with such fantasies.

" Kitttttty, rise and shine, it's Monday!"

My God, like anyone would appreciate it if you reminded them of that. Mondays, the bane of my existence. Nevertheless, I threw the covers off and staggered to my closet, pulling out random clothes and making it into the bathroom. My bathroom was my haven, complete with a wonderful bath and shower, perfect to every detail. It was the thing I needed every morning, before heading off into the harsh, real world.

Breakfast was a cup of hot chocolate and a homemade cinnamon roll, don't get the wrong idea, I can barely heat up an Eggo. This is all courtesy of my mom, who thinks breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

" Do you have any tests in school today, Kitty?" My mom asks, making coffee for when my dad comes down to eat.

"No, Mom." Just like I say every morning, if she doesn't know I have a test, then she won't mind if I get a bad mark. I finished off the last bite of my roll and grabbed my school bag, headed for the door. I walk to school, since it's only a few blocks away, though it took a month of arguing with my parents (and the threat of not eating) before they gave their consent.

I walked a bit, before I heard the familiar sound of roller blades behind me. Jake, my best friend in elementary and middle school, before we got shipped off to different high schools. Don't make any assumptions, we're just friends, as if that isn't the most clichéd line you've ever heard. Luckily we see each other every morning on the way to school; it's probably my favorite part of the day. I turned around and stuck my thumb out, like I was hitchhiking.

"Give a girl a ride?" I said, with an innocent smile playing at my lips.

Jake stopped in front of me, his hazel eyes were dancing with amusement, and his sandy blonde hair was messy and windswept, as usual.

"Of course, Madame, how could I resist?" He said playfully back, before bending down in front of me. He was considerably taller than me, but I wasted no time in jumping on his back, while he continued roller blading down the street. Now this was getting to school in style. This was our routine every morning, done in silence; I enjoyed listening to the sound of his blades on concrete. Once, I'd offered to do the roller blading, but he'd refused. I guess it's the man in him talking.

"Here's your stop, Kitty." He said, slowing down at an intersection, he still had a few more blocks to his school, but mine was quite close.

"Thanks, Jake." I said, "I'll see you after school." He nodded and with a smile in my direction, started blading the other way.

I continued walking, now I had nothing to look forward to except classes, and my other friends I guess. I looked across the street to a lady getting out of her car; she was struggling, trying to hold her baby in one arm and some bags in the other. I watched her climb up the porch steps and into the door. Then I noticed something; a baby bag had been forgotten near her car. You know, those things with extra diapers and bottles.

Well, I thought, it might make me late, but at least I'd have done something good today.

I started to walk across the street, headed towards the house, hoping that some good karma would head my way. Suddenly I heard some screeching to my left, I turned and saw an out of control car coming my way.

I don't know what happened, I just…I just froze, I guess.

I'd always scream at the characters in horror movies, tell them to stop staring and start running. I'd laugh, then think what I'd do in their situation. But now…

I couldn't move.

I couldn't scream.

The stupidest things occurred to me, I had English first block today, and a sparrow chirped to my left. Why now? Why let this happen when I had been trying to do something good? I shut my eyes tightly and braced myself for impact.

But it never came.

Instead, a strange sensation washed over me, like someone had cracked an egg on my head. I was lifted up, up and away by strange blue orbs. Was I dead? My parents would be devastated. It took a couple seconds for the light to fade, but then I opened my eyes cautiously. I could hear things…smell things, so that meant I wasn't dead? How is this possible?

It clicked that there were arms around me, and I tensed and jumped away in surprise. It was a man staring down at me with concern. What the hell?

"Who are you?" I asked quickly, I could hear my voice; it was high pitched and panicked.

"Please," he said, holding up his arms in a peaceful gesture. "My name is Leo, I'm your whitelighter."

Da Da Duhhhhh, well, there it is! No sisters in this chapter, hopefully in the next one. Please review; I'll give everyone a muffin. (:


	2. Hot Dude Alert

Ok chapter 2…I update quickly, which I suppose is a good thing. So, no reviews as of yet, it would help if someone could tell me if I should continue with this story. I don't think it's that bad. Well, hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own any character that have appeared in Charmed, it's kinda depressing actually.

* * *

A white…lighter? What the hell, and why was he 'mine'? Usually, I'd be perfectly happy with a hot guy thinking I owned him or something, but this was just strange. Besides, my parents had been telling me for ages not to talk to strangers. Or else I'd end up raped, murdered and tossed into some lake. Scare tactics, gotta love 'em. But this guy…hadn't he just saved my life?

"I don't…I don't understand." I tried to say, "what just...happened?" My voice sounded pathetic even to my own ears. I stepped away from him, I didn't know if I should run or stay. I looked out to the street, there were skid marks where I had just stood moments before. My ears rang from hearing the screeching tires…

"Kitty?" Said the man, uncertain. "Listen, we really need to talk…"

"You bet…" I mumbled under my breath. Politeness was not an issue, I wanted answers.

"I know you know..." He started, trailing off. As if he were trying to find the right words to say to me. " You're a witch, Kitty."

I gasped, not on purpose, it just came out. Who was this person, and how did he know my biggest secret? I took another step away from him, something in my brain told me to run, but I was frozen, rooted to the spot. I knew it, when I woke up I just knew this was going to be a bad day.

"Don't be scared." Leo was saying, "there are others like you. Each witch has his or her own whitelighter, that protects them and shows them the way. I wanted to reveal myself to you some other way, perhaps in a less stressful environment, but I couldn't just let you be run over by a car."

Amen to that. I thought. But _how_ did he save me? This must be a dream, but everything else this morning seemed real enough. Somewhere deep down inside, albeit, quite deep down, I was relieved. This was a good thing, I guess, this meant that I didn't have to keep my secret to myself anymore. Maybe I wasn't such a freak after all. Leo continued to stare at me, trying to figure out what I was thinking. Suddenly, he looked down at his watch.

"Your first class is in…2 minutes." He said, frowning.

"I'll be late, it's not that big of a deal."

He shook his head; " I'll have to orb you to school. It's what I just did to save you from that car."

He "orbed" me? Great, this sounded like something from out of Star Trek. He'll probably start walking around saying "beam me up, Scotty" any second now. Nevertheless, when he reached out to hold my hand, I didn't pull away. He could be lying…or not, and I thought it would be worth it to find out. Once again I felt the strange sensation come over me again, someone cracked another egg over my head. I closed my eyes, since there was a bright flash of light, and when I opened them again…I was in back of the school. Luckily, no one was around to see our arrival, I bet Leo planned it that way or something.

"Do you think we can meet back here after you're done school?" Leo asked, he said it casually, but I could tell he really wanted me to say yes. Who was I to refuse a hot guy anyway? Especially one that had just saved my life just minutes before.

"Yeah sure, school ends at 3:10." I said. He shot me a killer smile and then orbed away again. It was pretty amazing just watching him do it, dozens of blue bubbles rose upwards like he was some sort of angel going back to heaven. A whitelighter, eh? I could get used to that.

Leo orbed back to the kitchen table, from which he had been interrupted. The remnants of a breakfast prepared by his wife, Piper, were in front of him. She was bent over the sink, cleaning the dishes left by her two other sisters, Phoebe and Paige.

* * *

"Hey," he said, walking over to her and kissing her cheek. " Sorry I had to run out like that, but my new charge was in trouble."

Piper turned around and smiled at him, "I didn't know the Elders had given you a new charge. There's leftover pancakes on the counter for you, Phoebe's at work and Paige's at another temp job."

"This charge is supposed to be different." He said, moving to the table and clearing off the dirty dishes. "According to the Elders anyway, they say she's going to help destroy some sort of evil in the future."

"Hmm, like, near future?"

He shrugged, "No clue, I'm meeting her this afternoon though."

* * *

It was a miracle, I wasn't late. Well, I was approximately one minute late, but no one really cares anyway, besides, now I'm seriously considering joining the track team for some extra credit. I might need it, considering that I "don't try hard enough in school". Pfft, I try plenty, it's not my fault we keep on getting dumb assignments. Like this new one for instance, pick someone in the class to work with, and then report on some event going on in the school.

"Hey Kit Kat." Said my friend Sasha, who sat across for me. I waited for her to say something else, but she just kept poking me with her pink glitter gel pen.

"What?" I finally asked, impatient. I bruise easily you know. Sasha was my best friend, minus Jake, of course. She always reminded me of a hippie, dressed in flashy colors and bell-bottoms and the like.

"Wanna do the assignment together? We can pick the school's talent show, super simple. Plus we can scope out some major hotties like…" She looked around us, seeing if anyone was listening. "Zach Bellevue, his band's trying out, but everyone knows they're going to make it." She hummed a bit and put her hand over her heart.

I sighed, but couldn't help cracking a smile. "Deal, but if you bring roses to toss at Zach, I'm so ditching you."

* * *

End chapter 2. Pllleeeeaassse review! Muffins didn't work last time so..cupcakes? 


	3. Another Hot Dude

Hey everyone, thanks for the review. Unfortunately I might not be able to update so quickly anymore, since Easter break is over tomorrow. You can expect an update around every three days though. Please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters that have appeared in Charmed, it's kinda depressing actually.

* * *

Paige entered the manor in a state of depression. She had just come back from her new temp job, probably the most degrading of them all. She was now…a crossing guard. It didn't sound too hard at first, but then she had to wake up at 6 in the morning, and march out to an intersection of screaming kindergarten students. She then had to stand in the freezing cold, nearly getting run over by cars and having to deal with complaining students for an hour. After fifteen minutes, it took all her self-control not to use her stop sign as a deadly weapon. Plus, the orange and yellow city vest was so not her style.

" Piper! I'm home, and I'm cold and miserable and my arm hurts!" It felt good to complain, especially since she had to leave again for her second shift at 3:10.

"Hey Paige." Said Leo, popping his head out of the kitchen. "I take it your new temp job isn't the greatest thing ever?"

"Crossing guard." Answered Paige, dropping her heavy stop sign on the floor with a bang. "Where's Piper?"

"Gone out to do some shopping, I'm home with the kids."

Paige nodded and slid past Leo, into the kitchen. She opened random doors to find something to snack on and finally settled for a jar of creamy and smooth peanut butter.

"And how was your day, Leo?"

He shrugged, "Elders assigned me a new charge, had to save her from an out-of-control car a couple hours ago. She's supposed to help vanquish a great evil one day."

Paige frowned, "I guess that means that we'll have to help vanquish a great evil soon too." She put down the peanut butter and heaved a great, exaggerated sigh.

"No rest for the wicked I suppose."

* * *

The bell rang for lunch, and it took all of my self-control not to slam my books down, and run out of History class cheering. Seriously, maybe I'd be more interested if he'd quit speaking in such a monotone voice. I slid out of my seat and headed for the door, I was actually looking forward to my peanut butter and jam sandwich today.

"Where do you think _you're_ going, Kit Kat?" Said Sasha accusingly, walking up beside me. "The auditions for the talent show are today at lunch, so we have a date with the auditorium. Or did you forget our English assignment already?"

I gaped at her in surprise; did she really expect me to starve or something? "I didn't forget…but…but…what about food?"

She looked at me with sympathy, as if she were speaking to a mentally disabled toddler.

"You can eat there, silly! Besides, Zach is playing there today, there will be tons of kids coming to watch."

I sighed, so much for a nice, peaceful lunch. This day sucks.

Sasha was right, there were a ton of kids already in the auditorium. We sat down in the seats closest to the stage, and the judges shot us annoyed glances. There were five judges, 4 students and 1 teacher to represent the faculty. He'd probably picked the shortest straw at the staff meeting.

"The audition will start soon." Said Sasha next to me, she took out her lunch and I did likewise. However, she also took out one of those notepads…that detectives in cop shows use and stuff.

"What do you plan to do with that?" I asked, with one eyebrow raised.

"Duh!" She told me, slapping her forehead. "Maybe we'll get to interview Zach! Wouldn't that just be awesome?" I said nothing, and just rolled my eyes.

As promised, the auditions started in around two minutes. First was a group of dancers who weren't that bad. Then there was a comedian who…well, I don't know how to say this nicely, so I won't say it at all. Finally, there was Zach Bellevue's bad. A hush fell over the crowd, God, how good was this guy? I had never heard him perform. The band shuffled onto the stage, I squinted to see his face but the lights were turned down too low.

Another day is going by  
I'm thinking about you all the time  
But you're out there  
And I'm here waiting

This is pathetic, one freakin' verse of the song and I'm already melting. If someone told me to jump off a bridge, and said it in that voice, I'd so do it. The rest of the song had the same effect on me; Sasha had closed her eyes and was swaying to the beat. For once in my life, I knew why she was so excited about a guy.

I'd do anything  
To fall asleep with you  
I'd do anything  
There's nothing I won't do  
I'd do anything  
To fall asleep with you  
I'd do anything  
'Cuz I know  
I won't forget you

By the last verse, I was still hanging on to every word he said. I barely noticed it when the whole room exploded into applause, I snapped out of my trance and was soon cheering loudly with the rest of them. I sat staring at Zach, and while he turned back to his band, I could've sworn that he looked at me for a split second.

I didn't believe my own eyes until Sasha grabbed onto my arm. " Oh my God, oh my God!" She practically screamed into my ear. "Didn't you just see that? He looked at us!"

Yep, perhaps this day was looking up, and this week, and the whole month. Actually, this whole year was looking good.

* * *

By the end of the day, the excitement of that afternoon still hadn't worn off. I passed through all my classes as if I was floating on some cloud. I almost forgot about my meeting with Leo after school. Almost, but not quite. When I walked in back of the school, I found it deserted again; Leo wasn't even there yet. However, I only waited a few seconds before the familiar blue bubbles appeared in front of me again, bringing Leo with them.

"Hey." He said, he seemed relieved that I had showed up.

"Hey." I repeated, "so…"

"I have some explaining to do." He smiled, but looked a bit stressed. "You're a witch, you've known that for a while." When I nodded he continued, "like I said this morning, there are others like you. But there are also creatures that prey on witches, especially new ones, like you. They're called…demons."

I looked at him with wide eyes. No way I was believing this bullshit, but then again…I'm the one who's the witch. "So what, I was attacked by a demon car this morning?"

Well, at least he smiled at that. " No. But there will be some demons who come after you, and you can't ignore that fact without being in grave danger." He held out his hand to me. "I'll bring you to someone else who can teach you…it's OK, she's my wife."

I nodded, and accepted the hand.

* * *

Zach Bellevue sat in the gym locker rooms after school, drying his hair. It was after football practice, but he'd stayed a while longer to take a shower.

"Hey Dude." Said a fellow band member, Brennan. " I'm leaving, you coming?"

Zach shook his head, " I'll stay a bit longer, man. See you tomorrow."

Fifteen minutes later, Zach was ready to leave also. He bent down to pick up his school bag, but then a shiver went down his spine. He stood up quickly, but it was too late, something hard came in contact with his skull.

Yay! Cliffhanger, I'm so evil. I hope you enjoyed this chappie and please review!


	4. The Book of Shadows

Yay, I kept my promise and got it up in three days. I'll probably be able to write another chapter soon, since it's the weekend and I sprained my ankle during badminton. Therefore, I cannot walk and I'm mostly just hanging around on the computer. Review pleeeaaassee!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that have appeared on Charmed. It's kinda depressing actually.

* * *

When the bright lights disappeared and I was finally able to open my eyes, I was in the middle of a road with Leo by my side. At first, I was confused and a bit disoriented, but after gathering my surroundings I noticed that we were in front of a big, Victorian house. I thought it was beautiful, exactly the house I would want when either my parents disowned me, or I could finally move out. Which ever came first.

"Is this it?" I asked Leo, but he was already walking towards the driveway.

"Yep." He answered; I hurried to catch up with him. "My wife lives here, along with her two other sisters. They're the world's most powerful witches, and the most powerful source of good. Most people just call them the 'Charmed Ones'."

Funky name, I thought, it must be pretty cool to have a title. Hey, maybe if I'm any good at this witchcraft stuff, I could get a cool name too. Maybe…Kitty the Deadly Fourteen Year Old. Somehow, it just didn't have the same pull. We walked along the driveway for a bit and then finally came to the old doors.

This is it, I breathed, there's absolutely no turning back now. I'm headed into a world with pointed hats, broomsticks, and these things called 'demons'.

"Welcome to the Halliwell Manor." Said Leo, as he pushed open the door. I took a step into the house; a long hallway was in front of me. Suddenly, a strange feeling washed over me and I could imagine myself walking into another, magical dimension or something.

"Leo, that you?" Said a voice, coming from another part of the house. Before Leo could answer, someone walked into the hallway. It was a woman, and an intimidating feeling just radiated off her. She looked at me closely, and seemed to be memorizing my every detail.

"Piper, this is my new charge, Kitty. She's a new witch, so maybe you can just let her see the Book of Shadows." Leo said this, all the while looking straight at Piper; I could tell that unspoken words were being passed between them. Something else we weird, what was a 'Book of Shadows'? It sounded weird, but appropriately titled for a book that witches would use.

"Sure, Leo." Answered Piper, she eased up just a bit. " Wyatt and Chris are in the playroom, go watch them and I'll show Kitty up to the attic." Leo nodded and moved from my side, although he smiled at me, I felt a little…vulnerable, since he wasn't with me.

"Come on, I won't bite." Said Piper to me as she climbed up the old stairs. I hurried after her without saying anything, the stairs creaked beneath my feet and I gripped the banister tightly.

"So Kitty, won't your parents be worried when you don't come home after school?" Asked Piper, it was sincere enough, but I could tell she really wanted to know about my family life.

"They don't come home until around 6, both working." I said, soon we reached the top of the stairs. In front of me was a small door, if I didn't know better; I could have sworn that it would lead to a linen closet. But no, as Piper pushed open the door it lead into a much larger room. It was a bit stuffy and dark, but again I sensed a magical presence in the room.

"This is our attic." Said Piper, almost sounding like a tour guide. "Basically our magical headquarters. And _this_ is our Book of Shadows." She walked up to the stand in the middle of the room; on it was a huge book that looked centuries old. " Our family has been witches for generations, and all of them have contributed to this book. Think of it as a encyclopaedia for everything and anything magical."

"That's really awesome." I said, impressed. Piper moved a bit to make room for me in front of the book, so I started to turn the old pages cautiously. It was seriously amazing; there were tons of these things called spells, and also tons of entries on these 'demons'. Some of the pictures were pretty horrific, and I was still somewhat in denial that these things actually existed.

"Getting convinced yet?" Piper teased lightly, with a small smile on her lips. "I can see the doubt on your face, don't worry, I was the same way when I first learnt about all this."

This came as a bit of a relief to me, " I'm getting convinced." I said, also with a small smile. "But if one of these things…comes after me, and Leo said they would, what should I do?"

Piper didn't speak for a few seconds, but then she walked over to a small cabinet and opened some of the drawers up. When she turned around to face me again, she was holding a few bottles of liquid and a dagger of some sort. "These will help, if the demons get a little anxious." She handed them to me, and I took them cautiously.

"Umm…thanks but, what do I do with them?" I asked.

"Well, the dagger is pretty obvious, it's actually called an athame though. Those bottles contain potions, if some demon gets a bit too friendly, throw one at it and it'll do the trick." Piper's explanation was cut short as a beeping started; it was my watch, since it was 6 o'clock.

"Damn, my parents will be home soon, I'll never get there in time." I cursed their over protectiveness, I'd probably be grounded for a month or something.

"Leo will orb you, don't worry. What do you think about coming back here tomorrow? I could teach you some more stuff, you might need it soon." I considered this offer for a few moments, but then decided that it would be in my best interest to accept.

"Ok." I said, "tomorrow I'll meet Leo again at 3:10, it's a date."

* * *

That night in bed, I tossed and turned, and just generally failed to fall asleep. Leo had orbed me home, and he seemed happy with the plans I had made with Piper. Which, I'm guessing, is a good thing. My parents came home only moments after I got in the door; sometimes it's very useful to have a whitelighter.

I wish I had a diary or something, I thought, then at least I could write all these thoughts down, instead of thinking to myself like some crazy person. It's too bad that the last time I had a diary, in grade 4 to be precise, I quickly figured out that my mom had been going through the pages when I was at school.

I sighed; I was almost scared of waking up tomorrow and facing another day. Look at everything that happened to me in just 24 hours! Indeed, it seemed like enough excitement to last a year. I doubt many people get a new whitelighter, and a new love-of-my-life in one day.

Zach Bellevue, if I had a diary right now, I'd be covering his names in hearts.

And I wondered if tomorrow was going to be a good day.

* * *

Hope you liked, please review! 


	5. Oh My Freakin' God

Hey everyone, sorry this took so long. I actually had most of it written, but was too lazy and busy to put it up…

Question: Can you even be lazy and busy at the same time?

Well, anyway, I hope you enjoy it. And pleeeeeeease review!

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters that have appeared in Charmed. It's kinda depressing actually.

The next morning was all routine; I didn't even almost get run over by a car. Jake didn't say much to me that morning, but that was also pretty usual. For some reason, I almost felt guilty when I said goodbye to him that morning. But why? It could be because of Zach but it wasn't like Jake and I were ever…you know, together. Nor did I think he ever wanted to be. Well, it wasn't until I got to school that things started to get a bit weird.

Sasha came running up to me, as soon as I got to my locker. "Oh my God, Kit Kat. The most tragic things in this school's history just happened last night." Tragic, eh? Well I wouldn't exactly be too sad if the school caught on fire…

"What happened, Sasha?"

"Zach Bellevue was attacked last night, in the locker rooms, and for some strange reason, he's been telling the band members that he can't sing at the Talent Show anymore!"

My jaw dropped, the rest of my life is going to suck, period. How could my Zach do this to me? What if I never get to hear him sing again? And what is his awesome band planning to do for Talent Day now?

"Ok, Kit Kat, come back to Earth now." Said Sasha, waving her hand in front of my face. " You've been staring off into space with a pained expression on your face. It's not all bad…well, most of it is. Someone approached the remaining band members and asked if he could take over the lead singer's position, just for the Talent Show."

I stared at her for a moment, and then grabbed her shoulders. "Don't keep me in suspense! Come on, who is it?"

"Someone named Michael Ruth." I frowned, I knew most people in our grade and a lot of others too, but I don't even recall anyone mentioning him.

"He's kind of…" Sasha looked around to make sure anyone wasn't listening, "he's an outcast. Mostly just going around doing his own thing. Even if he was the best singer in the world, I doubt anyone would have noticed."

I frowned, no matter how good of a singer this Michael was, he'd never compare to Zach. Maybe he was just a bit traumatized after last night's attack. Maybe all he needed was a nice talk, perhaps a one-on-one talk? I didn't have much time to fantasize at that moment, since the bell for first period rang way too soon. I sighed, and began to collect my books.

"Hold on a second." Said Sasha, grabbing my arm. "I never said that I was done with my scoop. Since they have a new lead singer, the band has to try out again at lunchtime. We need to be there again, my English mark needs to go up, and this is the perfect opportunity to ace our project."

As much as I hated to admit it, my English mark wasn't the greatest ever, and this was going to be a great article. I nodded my head and we walked off to first period together.

* * *

At lunchtime, we did the same thing as yesterday, going to the auditorium and getting our 'usual' seats. There was a huge crowd there again, half of the school at least. Everyone was gossiping about this, and Zach wasn't even at school today to clear up the rumours. Naturally, that caused the gossip to spin out of control.

"Ahem." Said the teacher judge, clearing his throat loudly to quiet the students. "If you'll all allow it, I would like to start the auditions now."

Everyone shushed quickly, and the band quickly shuffled onto the stage. For the first time, I saw Michael Ruth. He was rather short, and didn't have the striking good looks that Zach had. Nevertheless, I guess he was handsome in his own way. He seemed calm, confident, which is pretty impressive considering that everyone was staring at him. The lights dimmed, and the band started to play. Finally, Michael opened his mouth.

_Oh, well imagine; as I'm pacing the pews in a church corridor,  
and I can't help but to hear, no I can't help but to hear an exchanging of words.  
"What a beautiful wedding!", "What a beautiful wedding!" says a bridesmaid to a waiter.  
"And yes, but what a shame, what a shame, the poor groom's bride is a whore."_

Oh my God, he's singing a Panic! At the Disco song, I love them. This must be a coincidence…I pulled myself from that line of thought. How stupid was I? I'd hardly ever seen the guy before, never talked to him, why did I think he picked this song for me? Maybe, because it's hopeful thinking, maybe because this guy sounds exactly like Zach. I'm not joking, from the moment he opened his mouth, it was like Zach was singing from behind the curtains. I thought I was imagining it, but one look at Sasha's face told me otherwise.

_I'd chime in "Haven't you people ever heard of closing the god damn door!"  
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of poise and rationality.  
I'd chime in "Haven't you people ever heard of closing the god damn door!"  
No, it's much better to face these kinds of things with a sense of poise and rationality._

As he finished the song, a feeling struck me, like ice was being poured down my back. The hairs on my arm prickled, and the little ones on the back of my neck. Something wasn't right here, could it be something…magical?

* * *

After that, the whole afternoon passed in a blur again, but this time the reason wasn't so great. All I could think about was how this was too weird, a random guy who sounds exactly like Zach, plus one of my magical feelings? I'd have to ask Leo about this, and I definitely intended to when I left the school at 3:10. When I walked to our usual spot in back of the school however, I wasn't alone.

Oh my freakin' God.

What the hell was Zach Bellevue doing here?

* * *

Hahaha, ok that's it for now, I'll try and save you from this cliffhanger soon, but school's getting pretty crazy and all. Can't wait for summer! 


	6. Demons 101

Hey everyone! Here I come to save you from the cliff-hanger I put you through last time. Hope you'll forgive me with this…sooooo, Zach or Jake? Or maybe, Michael?

Mwhahaha.

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters that were in Charmed. It's kinda sad actually.

* * *

I just stared, stupid, stupid me! It was like the car incident all over again, but I didn't have the near-death experience as an excuse. Strange thing was, as I struggled to find something to say, anything to say, Zach turned and stared at me, not acting surprised or anything. In fact, as I uneasily stared back, he almost looked relieved.

"I…umm…hi." Smooth Kitty…real smooth. He smiled at me, and I fainted a little inside.

"I'm glad you finally came, I mean, I was a bit worried you wouldn't show up for your meeting with Leo."

What the hell? How did he know about that…was the stalker about to turn into the stalked? I felt the winds picking up around me, as per usual when I got a bit freaked out, soon we might be standing in a tornado if I wasn't careful.

"How do you know about that?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady, using confidence that I didn't have.

He put up his hands in a signal that he didn't mean any harm. "Calm down, I know that I have a lot to explain, in a short time before Leo gets here. First of all, if you thought that you were unique, the only witch in this school, you were wrong. I'm a witch, my parents were, and their parents were. I sensed your powers the first time you walked into this school, and Leo…well, he's also my whitelighter. I'm sure by now you've heard rumours about what happened to me last night, and…I'm sure that I wasn't attacked by a normal teenager."

He paused; there was an odd expression on his face, like he was being forced to relive a painful memory.

"I was hit from behind, knocked out for a couple of hours. I had a dream, I was on stage at the Talent Show and my band was playing. Suddenly it felt like the words were being pulled out of the mouth and in a couple seconds, I couldn't sing at all."

The words choked up in his throat, I wanted to go over and comfort him or something, but once again my limbs failed me.

"I woke up, still in the locker room, no one had seen me. The first thing I did was try and sing, to make sure what happened was just a dream." He lowered his voice to a whisper, "but I couldn't. This may sound far-fetched, but I'm sure someone magical must have stolen my voice or something."

It dawned on me, of course! He had sounded exactly like Zach. "Michael Ruth…" I started to say, but was interrupted by the sound of orbing behind me.

"Kitty!" Said Leo, "I'm sorry that I'm late, there was some drama with Wyatt at home…" He stopped when he caught sight of Zach, "Zach, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?"

I looked at Zach, wanting him to tell Leo what he told me. He looked straight at me, and his eyes told me not to mention anything. When he turned to Leo, his face was void of any emotion.

"No Leo, Kitty and I are just friends at school. Well, I guess I'll get out of your hair now." Zach said, waving a hand and then walking around the corner.

Leo looked troubled for a few seconds and then smiled at me. "He's a good boy…well, shall we go?" He asked, offering his arm. I accepted and soon the feeling of orbs surrounded me.

* * *

Once again we appeared outside the huge, Victorian house. We walked up the stairs in silence and Leo opened those beautiful doors.

"Piper?" He called out, but this time it wasn't his wife that came around a corner, it was another good-looking brunette.

"She's upstairs, waiting with Paige for our visitor." Said the woman, she smiled at me and seemed nice enough. Extending her hand to me, she introduced herself. "I'm Phoebe, you're Kitty right?"

I managed to shake her hand and work up a weak smile. "Yes." I said, "it's nice to meet you."

Leo once again left me on my own to look after his son, while Phoebe and I climbed up the stairs to her attic. We made it to the small door, when she opened it I was expecting kind of the same thing as yesterday. Boy, was I wrong. Right smack in the middle of the room was easily the ugliest thing I had ever seen in my life. It was huge and monstrous and…well, it smelt bad.

"Hi Kitty!" I saw the familiar face of Piper who was standing on the opposite side of the room. Seeing her calmed me a bit, but come on, a demon on my second day? "This handsome fellow tried to attack us today, so I thought maybe we could get into Demons 101."

I nodded silently, but the demon still growled at me. Suddenly, he lunged, I gasped and moved back. Before making it to me, it will like an electric shock passed through his body and he was pushed back.

"Crystal cage." Said another woman in the room, standing besides the Book of Shadows. I hadn't noticed her until then, but she was clearly very beautiful with a slight resemblance to the other two sisters. "It's quite useful in many situations, I'm guessing we should be getting you one."

"That's Paige," said Piper quickly, "our third sister." She smiled at me and I smiled back.

I guess it was time for some demon butt-kicking. Serious anger management.

* * *

Yaaaaay! Chapter 6, aren't I just great? Hope you enjoyed it, and hopefully part seven will be up soon, especially since I have a long weekend coming up.

Toodles!


	7. Powers Lost, Powers Found

Wow! I haven't updated in forever, sorry about that guys. School got hectic, plus I was rather uninspired. But since I promised a story, one that I'm determined to finish…I'm back! Here's chapter 7, hope you enjoy it, and I hope I can get another one up soon.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that have appeared on Charmed. It's kinda sad actually.

* * *

"So, this thing actually attacked you?" I asked, as I inched along the wall. The demon had recovered by now, and was staring at me with a rather…hungry, look in his eyes. "Does that happen often?"

"Unfortunately," said Phoebe, "it comes with being the Charmed Ones. Actually, it comes with being a witch, so watch carefully."

These…demons, are going to be coming after me too now? Great, just as my life was achieving some pitiful kind of 'normal'.

"Found him!" Yelled Paige, who had been flipping through the Book of Shadows. "It says that he's a lower class demon, assassin for hire. Oooh, and he's the head of the tribe, that means…" She paused and Piper and Phoebe looked at each other.

"What does it mean, Paige?" Piper said, walking over to the Book of Shadows.

"Well, there's this little 'loyalty to the chief or die' policy that they promote."

There was a collective groan around the room, but no one had time to say anything else. Since five demons shimmered in, each was as ugly as their leader, who let out a huge roar.

"Get down!" Yelled Phoebe, pushing me to the floor. In a second, Piper had already blown up one demon, and was dealing with another tricky one who was throwing energy balls at her. Paige was orbing athames at the remaining three demons; one was hit in the heart and quickly killed. Phoebe left my side and also joined in, using her martial arts moves. Watching the Charmed Ones in action was pretty awesome, but as they were down to the last demon, they failed to notice that one of the crystals had been knocked away. As a result the so-called tribe leader was set free.

And he was pretty pissed off.

He raised his hand towards Phoebe, who had her back turned to her. In it, formed a huge energy ball. Compared to the other demons, it was super sized.

"Look out!" I screamed, flicking out one hand as if I was trying to swat a fly away. The sisters turned, but it would've been too late for Piper or Paige to react. Suddenly, a huge burst of air came from behind me, my vision was blocked by my hair flying in front of my face, but I could feel the unnatural wind spiralling towards to demon.

Then, it was done. I brushed my hair away quickly and was surprised to see the demon still standing there, he looked shocked, and I could see why. Through his stomach was a huge hole where the spiral of wind had hit; it was like a Looney Tunes cartoon come to life. Suddenly he exploded, but not without screaming one last time, a roar that sent shivers down my spine.

There was a silence, and then Paige spoke up. "So that's your power." It didn't seemed like a question, just a statement for lack of a better thing to say.

"Yep." I said with a soft chuckle, finally getting up from the floor. Looking around I noticed that the whole attic was a mess; well…it was messier than usual anyway. "Sorry about this…" I started, but was interrupted by Leo running into the attic.

"What's going on in here?" He asked, surveying the damage done by the demons, and also by me.

"Now you show up." Piper said, rolling her eyes and passing a hand through her hair. "Only _after_ all the demons have been vanquished. We could've needed some healing power you know…"

Leo opened his mouth to reply, but then closed it again and sighed. "I was looking after Wyatt…" Suddenly he stopped, and tilted his head towards the ceiling apparently listening to something. "One of my charges is in trouble…"

"Is it Zach?" I blurted out, I knew he should've told Leo about the dream he had…and I hadn't been able to tell him about Michael Ruth either…

Leo looked at me and hesitated for a second, but then nodded. I opened my mouth in surprise, but before I could say anything more, Leo starting orbing out in a shower of blue bubbles. Without thinking I lunged forward, catching onto his arm just before he disappeared. When we reformed, I was standing behind a tree in a deserted playground not far from my school.

"Kitty, what are you doing here?" Leo started, but then caught site of Zach, who was slumped forward on a bench not too far away. He started running towards him; I followed slowly and watched as Leo bent down on one knee, and hold out his hands while a glow came from beneath them. As Zach slowly came to, I walked up to Leo's side. After what a close call that had been, I didn't think Zach should be keeping his attack a secret from Leo anymore.

"Urg, thanks Leo." Said Zach, finally coming to after a minute of healing. "Kitty?" He asked, confused, noticing me there for the first time.

"I think you should tell him, Zach." I interrupted. Leo looked between us, confused and concerned. Zach remained silent, seconds ticked past with no one speaking, but then Zach opened his mouth. He began by telling Leo what happened the first time, all the stuff he had already told me. But then he described to us what had just happened, what left him unconscious on the bench.

"I was sitting here thinking, this is a usual spot for me to come just to rest and stuff. Suddenly, it happened again and I was hit from behind and knocked out. The dream came, it wasn't the same as last time but it had the same feeling. This time, I was being cornered by a demon and when I used my powers on him…it was the same as my singing, my powers were being pulled out of my body for some reason. I was pulled out of the dream by Leo healing me but now I'm pretty sure…" he paused and held out his hand, gesturing to a trash can not too far away. When nothing happened he sighed and said, "my powers are gone."

* * *

There we go, chapter 7 done. If you wanna see another up soon, please review! 


	8. Enter the Demon

Hiya everyone, I'm so proud! Chapter 8 is actually up and the storyline is moving along. Hopefully I can finish this story before I go away to Mississauga for my mini-vacation…hopefully. Well, some of you might hate me for what I'm gonna do in this chapter…but oh well!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that have appeared on Charmed. It's kinda sad, actually.

* * *

Leo and I were shocked into silence at this revelation, but it made sense. If Michael was able to take Zach's singing talent and then use it…could he do the same with his powers?

Zach let out a frustrated yell,

"Urg, which demon could've done this? And why me?" I realized I hadn't told them about Michael Ruth yet, which could put us all in danger.

"There's this weird kid at school, he kinda just appeared and everyone just assumed he had been a loner before. Anyway, he approached your band, Zach, and asked to fill the spot of your lead singer. When they auditioned, I went to watch for this English assignment, and he sounded just like you!"

Zach frowned deeply and stood up, " That kid must've stolen my voice, and now my powers?" He took a hesitant step forward, but then almost immediately lost his balance.

"Sit back down, Zach." Said Leo, helping him to the bench. " If this guy's got your powers, and maybe the powers of other witches, he's too dangerous to go after now. I'll orb you two back to the Manor, and then the sisters will work on finding this demon."

Zach shook his head, "There's no reason for him to come after me now, if he's got my voice and my powers…what more can he want?"

Leo was about to open his mouth and protest, and a voice behind us interrupted. "Funny you should ask, Zachary." We all turned to face the voice, but I knew who it was right away. It was the same boy/demon that had wooed the entire school with a voice that wasn't even his.

And that, was totally uncool.

I stood facing Michael Ruth himself, but Leo quickly moved to grab both Zach and I to orb back to the Manor. The orbing sensation was just beginning when Michael flicked a wrist and sent Leo flying back. My breath caught in my throat, but then I realized that Leo could probably heal himself if hurt.

"Hey, that's my power!" Said Zach, standing up from the bench. His dizziness was forgotten and he seemed to be recovering…but still, he was powerless. The gravity of the situation hit me. It was me, the amateur witch, against a demon with countless stolen powers. Indeed, this wasn't looking good for the home team.

"Zach, stay back!" I yelled, stepping forward and making a circling motion with my finger. I had to try, at least until Leo recovered. The winds around us shifted, what had started out as a soft, warm breeze was increased ten-fold. Within seconds, a mini twister had developed with Michael right in the middle of it. Leaves and branches joined the fray, and the trees bent inwards towards us.

"Leo!" I yelled, already feeling rather drained, and Michael was straining against his prison of winds, that was for sure. Suddenly, I felt an unknown power throw me back, I soared through the air for a few seconds and then violently hit a tree, the whole thing left me winded and dazed. As quickly as they had started, the winds dropped, leaving Michael to walk freely. He looked frazzled and messy, but nevertheless unharmed.

"What an interesting power." He said, with a sly smile in my direction. "I'll have to further explore it later." The look he sent me was enough to make my blood boil. I grunted and attempted to stand and give him a good, old-fashioned, non-magical butt whooping. Unfortunately, once again I felt an unknown power hold me in place against the tree. Looking to my left I saw Leo in a similar situation, the look he gave me was helpless.

"Now Zachary," Michael said, in a mocking tone of voice. "You were just wondering what more I could want from you. It's rather simple actually. You see, I'm a demon, no surprise there really, and I can steal talents from mortals…but more importantly, powers from witches. However, the only way I can keep these powers is by…well, killing you. It's an unfortunate business, but like I said, I'm demon and I really couldn't care less. So without further ado…"

Michael held up one hand, and Zach's hands instantly went to his throat. I let out an involuntary scream, hoping someone was near enough to hear. But it was no use; the area around us was thoroughly deserted. I looked over at Leo hopefully, but the only thing he could do was struggle in vain against whatever was holding us back.

"Zach!" I yelled out, watching him struggle with the invisible hands around his throat. He turned a slight shade of blue, and then stopped moving as his strength slipped away. I was struggling now too, with a burst of power I made the tree I was pinned to bend back and snap using only the power of wind, and desperation. I ran towards Michael, but was too late as he shimmered out, giving me one last wink.

I turned and watched as Leo was also set free, he ran to Zach, who had collapsed onto the grass. The healing light glowed under his hands again, but this time nothing happened. We waited a good minute, each second passed with my heat beating faster and faster. Finally, Leo gave up.

"I can't heal the dead, Kitty." He said quietly, the sorrow in his eyes clearly showed, it wasn't everyday that he lost a charge. I stood there, numb for feelings. I closed my eyes, but no tears came. Oh no, it wasn't time for tears now; it wouldn't be time until that damned Michael Ruth was dead and in hell, where he belonged.

"Come on," Leo whispered to me. "We'll go back to the Manor and get the sisters. Then we'll go after Michael." I nodded and he took my hands, the sensation of orbing overtook me as I cast one more look over the dead body of Zachary Bellevue.

* * *

Hahahaha, I actually killed off a character. Now, I know I shouldn't be so happy, but I feel so in control! Heh, better be sure I don't get drunk with power or something. Well, I'm sure you want that sweet sweet revenge! Pressing the Review button will definitely make that come faster… 


	9. Death and Denial

Wow, pretty fast wasn't I? It's partially thanks to you, so keep those reviews coming. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any character that has appeared on Charmed. It's kinda sad, actually.

* * *

When Leo was finished orbing us to the Manor, I noticed that we weren't on the street as usual. This time, we orbed right in the middle of the attic; Paige and Phoebe were still cleaning up the mess made by the tribe of demons this afternoon.

"Leo! Kitty!" Phoebe exclaimed, I could hear the relief in her voice. She put down the broom she had been using and walked over to us, lightly touching Leo's arm. It was a silent question that Paige put into words.

She also stopped cleaning and noticed the sad expressions on our faces. "What happened you guys?" She asked gently, reaching out to touch my arm. I didn't pull away, simply because my mind was anywhere but in the attic at that moment. Nevertheless, Leo wasn't saying anything and Phoebe and Paige kept standing there. The situation was getting awkward.

"Zach died." I said softly. It was more for me than anyone else, saying it could help the denial a little bit. You know what else could? A demon hunt. "Actually, he didn't just _die_. Oh no, some ruthless, insane, thief of a demon killed him. Who's too scared to fight in a fair battle." The sadness I was feeling quickly turned to anger. I had known Zach for a little more than 24 hours, but was it my fault if we bonded?

"Kitty, calm down." Said Leo, apparently trying to do something a little more productive than mop. He sighed and asked the sisters, "where's Piper?"

They both shared a look before Paige said, " Someone from the club called, she's on the phone with them now. Sounds like a plumbing emergency…"

"Phoebe, Paige? What's going on up there?"

Piper's voice sounded out from the stairs, and no one had time to respond before she came walking into the room. She opened her mouth, but then closed it when she saw Leo and me. The angry expression on her face softened when she noted our looks of sadness. There was silence for a moment, no one wished to repeat what I just said until Phoebe spoke up.

"It appears…well, that we have a new demon on our hands."

Leo nodded and continued, " It's a powerful one too, plus I've never heard of it before. Its power is to steal and use the power of other witches, apparently by attacking them on the dream plane. I should go see the Elders about this, you guys look in the Book of Shadows."

"The Elders?" I asked before anyone could say anything. Leo looked at me and sighed, allowing a small smile.

"It's pretty complicated." He started, "do you believe in a higher power…a greater good?" Wow, that was a pretty loaded question. After what had just happened, I wasn't sure anymore.

"I guess…" I replied hesitantly.

"Well that's what the Elders are." He said, "I'll go check in with them and then we'll form a plan of action."

"Wait, wait, wait." Said Piper, holding up her hands. After I had seen her blowing things up, I'm not sure I wanted anywhere near those hands. "There's a huge emergency at P3, something about pipes exploding every which way. Plus, Wyatt's downstairs and he needs supper and a bath…"

Something occurred to me, for about twenty seconds I had avoided thinking about Zach, but then the thought just popped into my head. "Wait, it's almost dark. What if someone doesn't find Zach's body and he's there the whole night or something? At least until some jogger trips over him…"

"Ok!" Yelled Phoebe, putting her hands to her head. "We all need to calm down. Leo, you go to the Elders. Piper, you go to P3 and we'll take care of the Book and Shadows and Wyatt. Kitty, we're already connected to _way_ too many unsolved murder cases…"

"I'll go." I interrupted, checking my watch. "My parents aren't home yet, it's only 5:30. Leo can orb me on the way to these "Elders" and then I'll call using my cell phone."

"Sounds good." Said Paige, before anyone could complain. "Everyone got that? Ok…disperse!" We all nodded and I grabbed Leo's hand before he orbed out, headed to the place we'd just been so quick to leave.

* * *

I flipped open my cell phone cover and stared at the glowing keypad. Leo had orbed me to the park, and then left me with one concerned glance. I knew I should be calling the police, but something didn't feel finished. I quietly walked over to Zach, who still lay where we had left him. No surprises there.

"Oh Zach…" I murmured quietly. I looked down into his open eyes, still full of shock and sadness. I bent down, the fleeting thought of contaminating the crime scene crossed my mind, but I pushed it away impatiently. I lay my hand carefully on the front pocket of his leather jacket, and something crinkled underneath my fingers. My curiosity got the better of me and I carefully dug inside, pulling out a folded sheet of paper.

It was a letter from a university in New York. Zach had been offered a scholarship because of his football. It was a good offer, too good to refuse. So what? Death ripped him out of my life, even though he was never going to be a part of it? New York was pretty far away, with lots of good-looking, female cheerleaders his age. I sighed and carefully replaced the letter inside his jacket pocket, I got some kind of closure, but not the kind I wanted.

Once again I looked at my cell phone and dialled the 3 digits. I had enough problems to worry about now; casting a glance at the tree I had bent over and snapped, I decided that my growing powers were one of them. The police would sure be confused about that.

" 911, what's your emergency?" Time for some serious acting.

* * *

Ok, that's chapter 9! I got it up as soon as possible; this story is coming to a close rather fast. I estimate there'll be two chapters left, but I don't wanna rush it so _maybe_ three. Your reviews and support keep me going, so please review! 


	10. CSI: Charmed

Another chapter up, I've decided to make it a tad bit longer, so you can be seeing at least two more chapters in the future. Perhaps near future? Well, please just keep reviewing and I wanna thank everyone for their support.

Katie…out!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that have appeared on Charmed. It's kinda sad actually.

* * *

"Katharyn Whistler?" Said a voice from behind me. This was it, my big acting debut, just deny everything, act shocked, maybe throw in a couple fake tears…

At least that's what they do on all the murder shows.

"Yes?" I asked, turning around. The detective was not like I expected, not because she was female, just because she looked so…nice. She had shoulder length brown hair and big brown eyes. It's probably part of her technique, I thought, don't give in!

"I'm Detective Mackenzie Hunter, the lead on this case, is it OK if I ask you a couple questions?" Ha, like it's really my choice. Focus, Kitty, you're an unfortunate bystander now.

"Sure." I said, "Um, have you called my parents yet? I gave the lady over there their numbers…"

"They've been contacted," she tried to seem reassuring, "they'll probably be here in a few minutes." I nodded and she took out a little notepad. Just like Sasha's, I thought sadly, it seemed like ages ago when we were in the auditorium listening to Zach for the first time.

"Katharyn?" Detective Hunter asked, seeing my far off expression.

"Sorry." I said, shaking my head slightly. Focus, Kitty! "What did you want to ask me?"

"Well, why don't you start by saying how you found Zachary?"

" I didn't mean to…well, obviously, but I was just walking here after school, trying to kill some time before my parents came home. I walk along this path pretty often, since it's quiet and a good place to think about things. And…well, that's when I saw him. I wasn't sure at first who it was at first, but then I recognized him as this guy at my school. I tried checking for a pulse and didn't find one, so I called 911."

This was a story I had already worked out while the police were getting here; personally I thought it was foolproof. I guess all the hours of watching CSI were really worth it, duh.

"So that's why you reported a 'dead body' to the operator?" Damn, ok, I can deal.

"Yeah…I mean, I don't know CPR and he wasn't breathing. I guess I just panicked and assumed." I said with a shrug. Must stay cool, calm and collected. Of course, not _too_ collected.

"Ok," she said, writing something down in her little notepad. "You mentioned that you knew the victim from school, what was your relationship?"

That question took me aback. I had thought our "relationship" would be something like friends…then a couple, and hey, then we could go from there. Of course, now he was dead and I find our "relationship" would've never existed. Now, how would you describe that?

"Well," I stuttered, " I haven't really ever talked to him. He's just kinda a legend at my school because of his band and his voice. Not to mention he's the football star."

She nodded, " OK, last question. Did you see anyone suspicious around when you got here, and was that tree always…like that?" She pointed to the tree that I had snapped. It took all of my will power to suppress a contented smirk. Instead, I tried to look as surprised as she did.

"From what I could tell the area was deserted, but that's not unusual, and I hadn't really noticed that tree before today…"

I heard a shrill voice behind me, "Kitty!" Urg, I thought, my parents would never let me live this down. Plus they'd be more paranoid than usual because of the "killer" on the loose. If only they knew…

* * *

"Have you determined anything from the body, Jim?" Detective Hunter asked the coroner's assistant who was prepping the body for transportation.

"Well, it's a pretty unusual case you've got here. His face is a bit blue, which naturally suggests that he wasn't getting enough air at the time he was killed. However, there aren't any marks on his neck where he could have been strangled. I'll have to take him back to the lab to be sure."

"Urg, I have a feeling that this case belongs in the 'X-Files'. Do you know when the kid died?"

"Again, can't tell you for sure. I do know that's it recent, somewhere in the last 2 hours. And I know what you mean, have you see that _tree_?"

"If it can be categorized as that. I heard some people saying that there's no marks where it was cut down, and it's not burnt so it couldn't have been lightning." Mackenzie said, she turned from the body and noted the small crowd around the snapped tree. " I'd say it was just the wind, but I doubt there's been any tornado activity here lately."

"Looks like a case for Scully. Anyway, did the girl who found the body say anything useful?"

"Not at all, but she did come off as knowing more than she let on."

" A suspect, perhaps?"

"No, not yet away. Listen, I'm going to head back to HQ and file the report, I'll have to talk to the kid's parents too, lucky me. Then maybe tomorrow I'll head to the school and see what I can dig up about this Zachary Bellevue. Call me when you're done processing the body down at the morgue, ok?"

"Hey, sure thing, Mac. And listen; maybe between working yourself to death as usual, we can head out to this nice place I know for some dinner. What do you say?"

"Dinner over a dead body, Jim, I'm flattered." Mac said, smiling. "I'll have to take a rain check though. Call me!"

* * *

Whooo, chapter 10. I didn't mean to drag it out so long, but I like writing for Mackenzie, she's spunky. And Jim…well he's just Jim. Please review and I'll get chapter 11 up faster than you can say "Why-oh-why-was-the-best-show-on-earth-cancelled?" 


	11. Plan of Desperation

Well, this is actually a little late. Heh, but I tried to make it up to you by making it extra long! So here's chapter 11, with a special half-a-page bonus! Don't act like you're not excited…

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters that have appeared on Charmed, it's kinda sad actually.

* * *

Ew. There's a spider on my ceiling.

Unfortunately, that was one of my more interesting thoughts this evening. Seriously, you'd never guess that I was actually a witch with these weird, supernatural powers. I could be outside chasing down demons and just generally painting the town red. But no, I had to have totally paranoid and unfair parents, so instead of having fun, I'm grounded.

Oh, you heard right. I found a body and suddenly my parents think they have to lock me in my room for the night. Did I murder Zach? No! Their apparent reasoning for this stupidity being that I was walking in the park in the first place, when I should've been coming straight home.

So, no sympathy for this "poor, innocent bystander". My only consolation was that my parents weren't home. They would've been, but my dad had a really important meeting with some client or another, which my mom was also invited to. So, I guess I wasn't really grounded at all.

I sighed and watched as the little spider crawled slowly across the ceiling. Usually I hated spiders but right now he was my only company.

I had nearly nodded off when a familiar and comforting sound reached my ears. It was someone orbing into my room.

"Leo?" I said, shooting up in my bed and wondering if it was all a part of my dream. A cruel and sadistic dream, but one nonetheless.

"I'm here." Said a voice, I think it came from my bathroom.

"The bathroom?" I asked, looking at him strangely as he stepped into the main part of my room. He blushed and then explained,

"I wanted to make sure your parents weren't around. Anyway, I just got back from talking to the Elders and I was thinking maybe you wanted to hear what happened?"

"Sure!" I said, enthusiastically. I'd be willing to go anywhere now if it meant getting out of my prison…I mean room. I grabbed Leo's hand as the sensation of orbing came over me.

_Bye-bye Mr. Spider_.

* * *

Once again we didn't orb onto the street, or into the attic. Rather, into the nice room with tons of windows all around and abounding plant life. I was a tad jealous, seeing as how I tend to kill all things that I have to take care of.

"Piper?" Leo called out, looking around the room for the sisters.

"Still at the club, she called a couple minutes ago to say she would hurry back. However, the exploding pipes were not an exaggeration." Paige said as she walked into the room, Phoebe followed trying to dry off her shirt with a hand towel.

"Damn, your kids sure do splash around, Leo. Luckily, they're safely in bed and asleep." Said Phoebe, throwing the hand towel over a chair and trying to straighten her top. "That's where the good news ends though, we didn't have much luck with the demon hunting."

"That's an understatement." Interrupted Paige, "I don't know what's up with the past generations but there's absolutely nothing on this demon in the Book of Shadows. I mean, we found some who steal the powers of witches, but none who operate on the dream plane."

"Understandable…" Murmured Leo, who started pacing around the room. All the attention was turned to him, but he still didn't say anything.

"Umm, what was that Leo?" I said.

"Oh sorry, " he said, coming out of a trance-like state. "The Elders did have something on him, but it's not necessarily a good thing. I wish Piper were here though, so I didn't have to repeat myself. This is going to be complicated enough…"

"Ask and you shall receive." Came a voice walking into the room, we all turned and sure enough it was Piper. Her hair was completely soaked and her clothes, likewise. "Sorry I'm late, but the plumber apparently had car troubles. Tonight is so not our night."

"Ok Leo," said Phoebe. "Time to dish, what did the Elders tell you about this demon?"

"Well, to start off with, Michael isn't actually the demon. He's being possessed by one, named Szalack, the Elders have been keeping tabs on him for centuries but he's been imprisoned in the Underworld until now."

"Whoa." I said, Michael wasn't actually the one to blame? That sucked, how was I ever going to look him in the face again? " So you're telling me that Michael isn't the one doing all these things, and he's just an innocent guy that was taken over by a demon?"

"Well, not really." Answered Leo. "The only way for Szalack to possess someone is if they're ready, willing and able. Michael knows what's going on and is in agreement with it, or else he could try and fight Szalack. The Elders are guessing he was a lower class demon who just wanted more powers, as do most of them." I was somewhat relieved; at least there was still a bad guy in this fairytale.

"Ok, back to the point." Said Paige, "how did this guy get out of the Underworld and back to Earth?"

"Well, either Michael or some other demon released him, and served as a body so he could return to Earth. You see, Szalack doesn't really exist on this plane, he's really the ruler of the dream plane, which is the only place you can successfully vanquish him. If you only got rid of his host, in this case Michael, he'd just be free to go looking for another willing candidate."

"This is bad." I whispered quietly, the pieces of this puzzle were all coming together for me, and the end result wasn't looking very good. " The dream plane is also the only place where this Szalack can steal our powers. So he could just take them and kill us all like little flies."

"That's crazy!" Protested Piper, "there must be some other way, did the Elders say anything else? What about a Power of Three spell?"

" I asked Them about that too, in reality this is one of the only confrontations we've had with Szalack, so we're in uncharted territory. They said it might work, but this is all guesswork. You may be the Charmed Ones but Szalack has got the powers of countless witches, the Elders aren't sure how many times he's killed."

There was silence around the room. I couldn't believe it was about to end like this; it was like I had just failed Zach…a second time even. And all those other witches around the world, I had no idea how many there were but if the Charmed Ones couldn't stop Szalack…

Then who could?

I let out a frustrated growl and sank into a nearby chair, I was a total failure of a witch. Leo probably wouldn't be my whitelighter anymore, and Zach's murder was probably all my fault anyway. I'd probably switch places with anyone in the world if it meant not having to deal with demons anymore…

That's it!

I jumped from the chair and onto my feet. " I know, I know how to vanquish him!"

I yelled, half ecstatic and half scared for my life. The sisters and Leo looked at me like I was crazy, but I wasted no time in running out of the room and up the stairs…to the attic.

* * *

Whooo, possibly the second to last chapter right there. Well, expect that the next one will be extra long too! Pleeaasseee review and thanks to everyone who already has! 


	12. Revenge Served Boilin' Hot

Well, I'm sure you're all very excited to read the last chapter in my story. Even more so since this chapter is super sized! So, all my boring rambling will be at the end this time. Please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that have appeared on Charmed. It's kinda sad actually.

* * *

"Kitty!" Leo yelled after me, the sisters echoed him with similar exclamations, but it was a moment before they all finally followed me upstairs. I took the steps two at a time, grabbing onto the banister so I wouldn't lose my balance. I finally reached the top, and heard the others following me quickly. Running to the small door leading to the attic, a steady breeze swept the dust from out of corners, showing how excited I was. I crossed the floor and arrived at my destination, the Book of Shadows.

"OK, wait a second here." Said Piper, as the sisters and Leo barged through the attic door. "What's going on, and what are you planning?"

" I remembered…I remembered…" Pausing to catch my breath, I started looking through the many worn pages, looking for one I barely knew. "When I was up here looking at the Book of Shadows with you, Piper. I saw a page that I thought was really cool. I only just recalled it, something about switching powers."

There was a silence in the room, only broken by the fast flipping of pages. My eyes searched each title but to no avail. God, hadn't people thought about alphabetizing it or something? Finally, Phoebe spoke up.

"Here, let me help." She said, closing the book and then looking up at the ceiling. I was about to protest but then she interrupted me. "We could use a little help down here, you know!" I thought she was crazy, talking to the ceiling like that, but not much could surprise me anymore. Nothing happened for a couple seconds, but then the pages started moving by themselves. When they were finished, one page stood out.

"The power-switching spell." I said, silently reading over the incantation.

"So, I'm getting at what your mysterious plan is now. But why don't you just enlighten us with your idea?" Said Paige, the sisters and Leo nodded.

"Well, basically we have to find a way to vanquish Szalack." I started, " and the only way to really do that is to vanquish him on the dream plan. Which really sucks since that's the place he can steal our powers. So, what if you guys summon him here or something, and then buy some time while I say the spell. Then we'll knock him out somehow, and then I'll get onto the dream plane…somehow."

"That's too many 'somehow's for comfort." Grumbled Paige, the others didn't look all too convinced either.

"It'll be a piece of cake!" I said, trying to sound confident. " We'll write a kick ass spell, I'll vanquish him quickly on the dream plane, since he can't steal my powers. Well, since he'll already have my powers. But I'll have his, and then right before he vanquishes I'll say the spell again and get mine back. That way, all of Szalack will be gone forever."

Leo sighed, "Couldn't one of you go?" He said, meaning the sisters. "I mean, Kitty, you're my charges and only found out about all this yesterday…"

I cut him off before he got going. I find that this technique is most effective when dealing with adults. That way, they can't convince themselves with their own ideas. " But what if this doesn't work?" I said, a little unusual I know. Considering what I was trying to convince them of. " If it doesn't, you'll have to try a Power of Three spell, there's no other solution. And for that, you'll actually need the entire Power of Three."

There was silence around the room. "Well, it's not a bad idea." Said Phoebe carefully.

"No…maybe it could actually work." Said Paige, looking over to Piper and Leo. I did the same and after a moment Piper just shrugged, she didn't look happy about it, but I guess that was the mother in her talking. Leo looked like he was about to say something, but then stopped himself.

"OK then." I said, taking their silence as an agreement. " Let's get to work on writing that kick ass spell!"

* * *

" Are you sure you wanna go through with this?" Piper asked me, as the other sisters were getting everything else ready.

I nodded. " Phoebe wrote a great vanquishing spell, plus I've got the spell to switch powers memorized. I'm all covered. Besides, this is something I kinda need to do."

Piper nodded, but she didn't have a chance to say anything else, as Leo orbed back into the attic.

"OK, the Elders gave me a summoning spell for Szalack." He said, handing the paper to Piper. " I hope it works, and by the way, They said 'good luck'." I nodded and turned to look at the rest of the attic. Paige and Phoebe had set up a circle of white candles, as well as the crystal cage from before. I could only hope it worked better this time.

"Ready guys?" Piper asked, Phoebe and Paige came to stand beside her. "Kitty, say the spell right away, I'm not sure how long the crystal cage can last." I nodded as they started the spell. My palms were sweaty, I realized. I was scared, but it was now or never.

_In this night, and in this hour,_

_I call upon the ancient power._

_Szalack, from the depths of hell,_

_We summon you here with this spell._

There was a sudden gust of wind in the room; for once it wasn't caused by something I did. We stood transfixed, looking at the middle of the circle, where a figure was starting to appear. It only took a few seconds, and when the dust cleared, Michael was standing there. But it wasn't Michael anymore, it was Szalack.

"Say the spell!" Yelled Paige, Szalack looked around the room with a small smile forming on his face. I wasted no time in starting the spell.

_What's mine is yours,_

_What's yours is mine…_

Szalack threw both his hands out, creating a concussive force that ripped through the crystal cage, sending us all flying towards the wall. My back collided with something hard, and for the second time that day, I was winded.

"Piper, freeze him!" Yelled Phoebe, who had landed beside me. Piper flicked with her hands and Szalack was slowed down, but not frozen. He moved as if the air around him was holding him back. Nevertheless, it was enough to make me continue the spell.

_Let our powers cross the line,_

_I offer up my gifts to share…_

I watched as Szalack's face contorted, trying to yell out "NO!" or something else equally dramatic. He was slowly forming an energy ball as I said the last line of the spell.

_Share the powers through the air!_

There was an unusual wind in the attic again as I felt something being pulled out of me. I didn't hurt, but I was soon feeling horribly empty. Is this was Zach felt like? I thought. But soon the empty feeling was changed into a burning hot sensation. Let me tell you, demon powers? Yeah, they suck.

Szalack was also looking down at his hands strangely; they were now empty where the energy ball was just forming.

"Piper!" Said Leo, and his voice brought everyone out of their little trance. Piper brought her hands up and sent Szalack sailing through the air, he crashed into a table and lay still.

"Did it work?' Asked Paige cautiously, being the first to stand and taking a careful step towards the demon.

"Looks like it." I said, following her, " he's definitely knocked out." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at this. Looking at him just lying there, totally vulnerable and without his powers, I felt a surge of satisfaction. Me, on the other hand, felt totally energized. At the moment I was probably one of the most powerful beings in the world, that does tons to a girl's ego.

"So," I said, kneeling down besides the demon and putting my hands on either side of his head. I don't know why, it just seemed like the right thing to do. "Any idea how I'm supposed to use his powers?"

"Well, when we used this spell the last time." Said Phoebe, "we had to find each person's different trigger. The demon's then was, well…hate."

That was easy enough, I thought, closing my eyes. I held a lot of hate for this guy. I carefully focused on the park, how I felt when I could do nothing when Zach was having the life choked out of him. I felt the boiling anger surge through my veins, as I focused on all the other witches Szalack must have killed during his quest for more powers. But I had the power now; the cards were in my hand.

Suddenly, I gasped involuntarily and opened my eyes. I was no longer in the attic; I'm guessing it was the dream plane or something, basically just this weird area where everything was covered with fog. I stood up slowly and found that Szalack was no longer lying before me.

"Kitty." I heard a voice behind me, and turned quickly. Everything I did there seemed surreal, like it wasn't happening at all. I guess it wasn't, since I was probably still in the attic just dreaming all this.

"Szalack." I said in response, squinting to see him appear out of the fog. He was no longer in the body of Michael, now he looked just like a man in his 30s, dressed all in black with greying hair and a small goatee. Just as I always imagined an evil guy to look like, actually. I reached into my back pocket and took out the vanquishing spell that Phoebe had given me. Let's hope it's really kick ass, I thought.

" Now, now. Before you do that, just think about how good it feels to have all that power moving through your veins." I paused, and he smirked and continued. " Now you know why Michael was helping me, feels good doesn't it? I should know, since it _is _my power. I could share it with you, and we could be great together. All you have to do is accept me."

Now, for the record, I was never even considering joining his little 'evil tea party'. For one, I hated when people smirk at me. Secondly, I could see through his little confident façade, this was really just an act of desperation.

"I don't think so, Szalack." I said, smirking at _him_ and starting the spell.

_Evil wind that blows,_

_Take this demon and all he knows._

_Banished back to the realm of hell,_

_He is no more with this kick ass spell._

I laughed out loud at the last line, and admittedly watched Szalack being sucked back to the Underworld quite happily. Luckily, I didn't forget to repeat the power-switching spell. I felt all the boiling anger in my body disappear, replaced by an old, comfortable feeling.

I stood there for a few seconds, feeling a bit lost. Closing my eyes, I whispered to myself, "I'd like to go home now, please."

* * *

When I opened my eyes again, I was surrounded by the sisters and Leo. Michael was again lying before me. "Why is he still here?" I asked weakly, getting to my feet.

"Well, I guess he wasn't a demon after all. Probably a beginning witch, we checked for a pulse but there wasn't any." Said Leo, " is Szalack gone?"

I nodded as I looked down at Michael, another death I was associated with, that must be a record for only two days. The familiar sound of orbing filled the attic and I looked curiously at Leo before turning to look at who orbed in. It was a woman with long brown hair and green eyes, and she was wearing this totally gaudy, gold robe or something.

" Um, this is Ariana." Said Leo, making the introductions. "She's an Elder." He said to me with a little smile. Ariana inclined her head in our direction with a small smile on her lips.

"On behalf of the Elders I'd just like to congratulate you on your victory. Szalack is now back where he belongs."

We all nodded and grinned. "So I guess this was the 'great evil', right Leo?" Said Piper happily.

I looked at her; this magical community sure was confusing sometimes. Ariana, on the other hand, just looked mildly amused. " Not to ruin your victory celebrations, but more evil is coming your way. Kitty, your job isn't quite done yet."

Everyone remained silent for a moment, taking this in, I guess it was somewhat expected. I thought about how normal and boring my life was 3 days ago, and then I realized that I wouldn't change it for the world now. Bring it on, evil.

"I guess I'll be going now." Said Ariana, bowing slightly to us. That must be something, having some sort of greater good bow to you. " Don't worry about the one called Michael Ruth, we'll take care of him." With one last smile, she orbed out gracefully, the body of Michael disappeared in a similar fashion.

"Well," Paige repeated with a smile, breaking the silence. "No rest for the wicked I suppose."

* * *

"Detective Hunter?" Asked the young lab technician, knocking once on the doorframe.

Mack looked up from the paperwork she had been doing and towards the door. It had been a long day at the office and she had been looking forward to the end of her shift. "Yes, Jill?" She asked, closing the folder she had been working on.

" I just got back the fingerprints from the Zachary Bellevue case." She replied, " Most of the prints on the body came from the girl whose prints we took at the crime scene. Katharyn Whistler? Especially on the letter we found in the vic's jacket pocket, the one about the football scholarship."

Mack was silent for a moment, reclining in her chair and looking up at the ceiling. " Isn't that a bit odd, considering she claimed never to have spoken to him before?"

" A suspect, perhaps?"

"Maybe." Mack responded, " thanks, Jill." The young girl nodded and walked away from the door, Mack opened up another folder and started working again, there was still 30 minutes left in her day. Suddenly, she looked up and noticed that the door was still open.

With a flick of her wrist, it closed suddenly. Must have been the wind.

Fin

* * *

Wow! I seriously can't believe that I finished this story, it only took around 3 months, but I swore I would finish and I did. Anyway, as you can see I left you in a sort of mini-cliff hanger, which might lead you to believe…sequel! And in this case, you would be right. I will start writing chapter 1 for the new story as soon as my muse decides to give me a bit of inspiration. In the meantime, I'm going to be starting an NCIS story soon, so check that out if you tune it.

Finally, I'd like to give a heartfelt thanks to all readers. It's nice to write for yourself, but even better if you're writing for someone. Especially if those _someone's_ review. So I'd just like to give a special mention to…

**Chrissy, Stephasaurus, Rini08, Lynnicaec, Elphabathedelirious32, Rachel.m.g, Charmedaholic521, Piper-rox and Alone-in-the-night.**

Of course, in no particular order.

Thank you, and Katie…out!


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